Patent Application
20140196298
The present invention relates, generally, to the task of roofing with asphalt shingles and, more particularly, to a positioning device for accurately and quickly setting each shingle relative to its adjacent shingle.
1. Field of the Invention
Asphalt shingles are a popular roofing material in a great number of venues in the United States and elsewhere. Such shingles are affixed to one another in overlapping relation on a pitched roof. They are typically nailed into place once properly positioned.
By virtue of the fact that the shingles are in a predetermined and uniform pattern and highly visible from ground level in most cases, any deviation in the pattern is immediately recognizable to individuals at ground level, and it suggests, at least tacitly, poor quality.
It is common practice among roofing contractors to enter into a fixed fee contract with the owner or building contractor. Thus, time is of the essence in such contracts, while appearance, safety, and weatherproofing are at the forefront. Workers are urged to move quickly as they set and fix the shingles, but, as can readily be imagined, working on a pitched roof is no small task. The task is magnified where, as is the case in most roofs, there is a valley to be shingled.
Each workman must set and affix each shingle at the absolute proper place while supporting himself, typically by the tread on his/her shoes against the paper subbase to which each shingle is nailed, or otherwise secured. Accordingly, each workman is charged with the unenviable task of avoiding a potentially disastrous fall, well setting shingles in a uniform pattern, in a minimum amount of time.
2. Overview of the Prior Art
While the present invention might not be considered a pioneer in its field, the art, as of the present time, suggests that it is rather clearly the best and most workable.
Mills for example, in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,781, suggests the ruler type device comprising two plates, slidable relative to one another, to position a shingle. The plate 16 is movable relative to the plate 16, and a wingnut helps to affix the one to the other so that consecutive rows of shingles can be accommodated.
In a similar fashion, Sucheck U.S. Pat. No. 4,110, 911 employs a pair of bars 12 and 14 separated by arms 22 and held in position by knurled nuts 40. Stewart U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,217 offers yet another pair of bars, which are hinged to one another, and finally, Siegfried U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,227 offers a very complex system, which includes a system similar to Sucheck.
Each of the foregoing patents is deficient in one respect or another, and none of them address the more complex problem of positioning shingles in the valley of a roof.
The present invention is a simple, yet profoundly accurate, unitary positioning device for use by a single roofer as he/she sets and secures asphalt shingles.
Accordingly, it is a principal objective of the present invention to provide to the artisan a tool in the nature of a template, or jig, capable of assisting the artisan as he positions and secures shingles, not only along the flat portion of the roof, but in the valleys thereof.
It is a further objective, related to the foregoing, to accomplish the principal objective of the present invention with great simplicity and reliable accuracy.
Further, the tool is of such simple construction that a skilled artisan, as well as an unskilled journeyman, can readily understand it and use it to accomplish the objectives of the present invention.
In recognition of the nature of the roofing business where speed and accuracy are vital, the simplicity, of the present tool is such that a workman, irrespective of the level of skill, can position and set asphalt shingles with both speed and facility.
By virtue of the simplicity, of the tool which is capable of meeting all of the objectives established for it, the task of roofing a structure with asphalt shingles, is both visually attractive and economical to accomplish. Moreover, the tool is sufficiently stout that it can be tossed around and even fall from the roof without any damage to its ability to accomplish those objectives established for it.
The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art, with the reading of the following Detailed Description Of The Preferred Embodiment, read in conjunction with a Description Of The Drawings.
With reference now to the drawings, and initially to
The tool 20 is distinguished by its simplicity in construction, while offering unprecedented utility, and accuracy. As perhaps best seen in
In a preferred application, the tool is constructed of three-quarter inch plate and between 30 and 41.25 inches in length.
In order that the tool 20 can be handled by a single user, handles are provided. Accordingly, handles 28 are positioned immediately above the struts 26. There are three in number so as to permit the user to grasp the tool while he/she is in a variety of positions which the user might assume in order to protect against possible dis-lodgment and consequent injury while working on the side of a pitched roof.
It is well understood that roofing is often done in the late spring through the early fall, all of which times expose the roofer to substantial exposure to the sun. As an additional feature of the present invention, therefore, the handles 28 are wrapped, or coded, with an insulation material which resists the absorption of heat. Therefore, the handles may be gripped with ease and relative comfort despite the tool having been left in the hot sun for a length of time.
It is common in architectural circles to design, particularly, residential structures, with a gabled roof. Those gables create, what is known in the roofing industry, as a valley. More specifically, whereas the sides of the pitched roof are essentially planar, or flat, the roof of the valley will extend upwardly from the flat portion of the side of a roof at a 45° angle. A compelling feature of the present invention is the ability of the roofer to transition, almost seamlessly, from the setting of shingles on the flat portion of the roof to the valley.
In order to assist in achieving this benefit, it will be observed that the remote extensions, or ends, 31 on the left and remote extensions, or ends, 33 on the right, are beveled at 35 on the left and 37 on the right, both at a predetermined angle, preferably a precise 45° angle. Thus, a 45° angle a is created between the beveled surface 35 and the lower edge 39 of the bar 24.
Moving now to know
Referring specifically to
While the preceding description is intended to chronicle the various features of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the at will be able to perceive minor alternatives to specific features. It will be understood, however, that the present invention anticipates and encompasses such variations as may be seen from the following claims, wherein:
